Antiques Roadshow guest gasps as she learns truth behind 'incredible' statue found while looking for packet of biscuits in cupboard

A impermanent connected Antiques Roadshow gasped arsenic she learned the existent worth of an 'incredible' statue which was recovered portion looking successful a cupboard for a packet of biscuits.

Monday night's instalment of the show, presented astatine Thirlestane Castle successful the borders of Scotland, saw 1 pistillate manus implicit the tiny statue, which near the adept astonished.

'My brag was looking for a packet of biscuits successful the cupboard and we came crossed him,' she said arsenic she handed implicit the small bronze man.

As helium examined the statue, the adept said: 'Wow, what a beauteous thing. The level of item is incredible.'

He turned it upside down to observe the craftsman down it and realised that what helium was holding was alternatively special.

He said: 'It's by Hamo Thorneycroft. He is simply a large sanction successful English sculpture.'

'So overmuch of precocious 19th period sculpture was churned retired of Paris. I ideate the outskirts of Paris were conscionable 1 foundry location aft another. 

'Thorneycroft is 1 of the radical who truly bucked the inclination and is simply a very, precise respected and known name.'

When the adept asked her what caught her oculus astir the portion successful the archetypal place, she said: 'The item of his azygous is conscionable incredible.'

Delivering his estimated valuation price, helium said: 'I deliberation that astatine auction this is astir apt £1500 to £2500.'

Clearly taken backmost by the sum, the pistillate became flooded with the giggles and gasped: 'Oh dear!'

Hamo Thornycroft was 1 of the starring exponents of the New Sculpture, a question successful British sculpture reacting against the neo-classicism of mid-Victorian sculpture.

In his aboriginal years, the sculptor established himself astatine the forefront of precocious Victorian representation statuary, receiving important nationalist commissions including statues of Oliver Cromwell and Alfred the Great.

Antiques Roadshow is disposable to watercourse exclusively connected BBC iPlayer.